Is Saxo Bank Regulated? Is it safe? - TU Expert review
License is the most important document you have to consider when choosing a broker. Many traders, who would like to start working with Saxo Bank try to check whether it is regulated. Traders Union experts have already done that. In this article, you will learn whether Saxo Bank is regulated, what regulatory authorities supervise the broker and whether it is safe to work with the company in general.
Short summary about the broker Saxo Bank
The SaxoBank brokerage company was founded in 1992 under the original name Midas. In 2001, the broker was licensed by the FSA, a Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (1149). After that, the company changed its name to SaxoBank. Today the broker provides online access to various financial markets to clients from 170 countries. In 2017, the SaxoTraderGO terminal was recognized as the best trading platform for active trading according to FX Week’s e-FX Awards and ADVFN International Financial Awards. Can you trade options with Saxo Bank?
| 💰 Account currency: | EUR, USD |
|---|---|
| 🚀 Minimum deposit: | $0 |
| ⚖️ Leverage: | Up to 1:30 |
| 💱 Spread: | From 0.7 pips |
| 🔧 Instruments: | Forex, CFDs, Futures, Commodities, Forex options, Listed options, Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds |
| 💹 Margin Call / Stop Out: | Not indicated |
Pros and cons of Saxo Bank
👍 Advantages of trading with Saxo Bank:
•favorable trading terms for professional traders with at least 1 year of experience;
•over 71 thousand instruments for trading;
•the opportunity to invest in ready-to-use long-term portfolios managed by professionals.
👎 Disadvantages of Saxo Bank:
•Cent accounts are not available.
•You can trade through proprietary platforms; access to the MT4 and MT5 terminals is not provided;
•a ban on algorithmic trading for traders from abroad;
•you cannot contact support in the online chat on the company's website.
Why is it important to work with a regulated broker?
License is a document that certifies that a broker operates legally and guarantees fulfillment of its obligations to the traders. A financial license is issued by a financial regulatory authority of a country (the National Bank) or a specialized authority (for example, Securities Commission, Futures Trading Commission, etc.). It is important to choose licensed brokers for the following reasons:
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A license guarantees that the broker operates in compliance with the rules of the financial regulator that issued the document.
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In order to obtain the license, a broker must comply with certain requirements, for example, the size of the authorized capital or personnel qualification. It is simply not lucrative for scammers to comply with such requirements.
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A broker’s license provides access to real markets, and you can be sure that the quotes are real and up-to-date.
The best option is to work with a broker that holds the license of the jurisdiction, where the trader resides. You can also choose a company with a financial license of another reliable jurisdiction, for example, the U.S. or the European Union.
Is Saxo Bank Regulated? Broker’s license
Security (Protection for Investors)
SaxoBank is a licensed broker regulated by the Danish Financial Conduct Authority (DFSA). License Number: 1149.
SaxoBank follows strict legal requirements in 15 jurisdictions, including Denmark, United Kingdom, and Singapore. The broker is a member of the Danish Guarantee Fund for Depositors and Investors and provides services based on the provisions of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID).
👍 Advantages
- You have the opportunity to get compensation for up to 100,000 euros in the event of bankruptcy of the company
- Customer funds are maintained in the custody of separate bank accounts
👎 Disadvantages
- The regulator doesn’t consider cryptocurrency to be a real currency, therefore it doesn’t control its exchange, purchase, or sale
- Identity and phone verification is a mandatory procedure
Brokerage fees
Broker’s regulation is the most important choice criterion. However, before you start working with the broker, it is also important to analyze its commissions and fees. TU analysts have studied the commissions and fees charged by Saxo Bank, which you can see below.
Traders Union specialists have analyzed SaxoBank trading conditions for explicit and hidden commissions. The spread amount depends on the account types. The broker does not charge any commission for withdrawing funds and replenishing trading accounts. The withdrawal fee is charged by the bank for services or transfers. For all accounts, the broker charges a commission per lot for $50 (per $1 million traded).
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commission |
| Classical | from $12 | Yes |
| Platinum | from $8 | Yes |
| VIP | from $7 | Yes |
| Professional | from $7 | Yes |
Brokers that are similar to Saxo Bank
Many brokers operate legally, obtaining relevant licenses and permissions. However, when choosing a broker, it is important to compare their trading conditions. TU experts have prepared a comparative analysis of Saxo Bank conditions with its closest competitors.
Comparison of Saxo Bank with other Brokers
| Saxo Bank | RoboForex | Pocket Option | Exness | Vantage Markets | XM Group | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trading platform |
SaxoTraderGO, SaxoTraderPRO |
MT4, MT5, R MobileTrader, R StocksTrader, R WebTrader |
Pocket Option, MT5, MT4 |
Exness Trade App (mobile), Exness Terminal (web), MetaTrader5, MetaTrader4 |
MT4, MT5, WebTrader, Mobile Apps |
MT4, MT5, MobileTrading, XM App |
Min deposit |
No |
$10 |
$5 |
$10 |
$50 |
$5 |
Leverage |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
Trust management |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Accrual of % on the balance |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Spread |
From 0.7 points |
From 0 points |
From 1.2 point |
From 1 point |
From 0 points |
From 0.6 points |
Level of margin call / stop out |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Execution of orders |
Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution |
No deposit bonus |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Cent accounts |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
SaxoBank is a Danish broker designed for professionally active and passive trading.
The minimum deposit in RoboForex is $10. Leverage up to 1:2000. Traders choose RoboForex for reliability, favorable trading conditions, minimum spreads, and commission fees. The company is recommended for beginner traders and experienced investors.
Pocket Option offers a wide range of trading instruments and copy trading services. It constantly improves its service quality and expands the list of assets and trading platforms. The broker is suitable even for novice traders without significant capital due to the low initial deposit. Experienced traders who work with CFDs and binary options can also use Pocket Option’s services.
Exness broker is a trusted broker partner that is compliant with all relevant terms. Exness complies with all payment obligations and pays money earned.
Vantage Markets is a broker that is a real catch for traders who prefer ECN trading.
XM Broker is a broker for professional trading. Trading conditions correspond to the average market; there are technical advantages that distinguish XM Broker from its competitors.
Conclusions
Saxo Bank is a quite reliable broker for trading. Saxo Bank operates on the license of a reliable jurisdiction and its operation is regularly monitored. However, the company does not offer the best trading conditions compared to competitors. You can choose this broker and not worry about the safety of your funds, but there are better options in terms of trading conditions.
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FAQ
How difficult is it to obtain a brokerage license?
The procedure for obtaining a license differs depending on the jurisdiction, but it is very difficult and expensive to get the document in a reliable jurisdiction. This is why only reliable brokers obtain licenses.
Why is it not recommended to work with offshore brokers?
Offshore brokers have to meet minimum requirements for obtaining a license and reporting, which is why often scammers get such licenses.
Can an offshore broker be reliable?
Yes, although there are not many of such brokers. There are brokers with a good reputation, but with an offshore license. You still need to be very cautious when working with such companies.
How do I check a broker’s reputation?
In order to check a broker’s reputation, you need to read user reviews. However, it is recommended to only use independent websites for that.
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.